Mayawati takes fight to Mulayam’s turf; slams SP, BJP

Azamgarh (UP): BSP supremo Mayawati today attacked the Modi government, claiming it could start a war with Pakistan on the issue of terrorism just to divert people’s attention from their failures ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls early next year.

Cautioning the electorate on Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s turf in eastern UP, she sharpened her attack on both BJP and ruling Samajwadi Party, saying they could go to the extent of engineering riots to reap electoral benefits ahead of the crucial polls.

“To divert people’s attention from the failures of BJP and the Centre, the government can go to war (with Pakistan) on the issue of Kashmir and terrorism,” she said at a rally here. Azamgarh is represented by Mulayam in the Lok Sabha. He had won from both Azamgarh and Mainpuri in 2014 but gave up the latter. “Both the governments have cheated the people and failed to deliver on the poll promises,” she said, apprehending that these parties could “foment communal passions” for sake of votes. “People have understood the designs of opposition parties, especially of BJP. It could trigger Hindu-Muslim riot in Uttar Pradesh before the state Assembly elections and people should beware of this,” Mayawati said.

She accused the BJP of being anti-Dalit and the SP of encouraging ‘goondas and mafias’. The BSP supremo said if her party comes to power, the rule of law will once again be established in the state. In an apparent attempt to downplay the exodus of senior leaders from BSP, she said her political opponents, mainly BJP, were lapping up “our rejected stuff” (leaders expelled from BSP). Of the 10 assembly seats in the area, the Samajwadi Party holds a majority.

Mayawati is now hoping to make a dent in eastern UP in the coming state polls, and chose Azamgarh for her first rally in the region which has a significant Muslim population apart from her Dalit vote base. PTI